reviews

​Rodney Crowell (from the album Christmas Everywhere available on New West Records)Crystal clear harmonies hang in the air like perfectly formed snowflakes as Rodney Crowell opens his celebratory offering Christmas Everywhere by traditionally namedropping peace on earth as the album begins with the commercialism of the season in “Clement’s Lament (We’ll See You in the Mall)”. Rodney Crowell does not haul boxes of tradition out of the attic to decorate the album with the same-old trimming as he duets with Brennen Leigh in the hearts apart for the holiday tale of “Merry Christmas from an Empty Bed”. Christmas Everywhere busks its title track with Django-dusted guitar work, adding a note from Lera Lynn to the tune as a special wish while Rodney Crowell strolls city streets for “Christmas in New York” and road trips with poet Mary Kerr, heading down to Texas with “Christmas in Vidor”.Foregoing a phony façade for the holidays, Rodney Crowell rips off the wrapping to shoot the holidays full of reality as he makes a wish on Country Rock’n’Roll riffing with “Let’s Skip Christmas This Year”, sets out a Country ramble out for “Christmas for the Blues” and puts a Buddy Holly beat underneath the tree for “Christmas Makes Me Sad”. Rodney Crowell uses Christmas as a character on the album, the season judging a lonely man drearily celebrating in “Come Christmas” and revving up the beat to take the holidays for a swing on the dance floor with “Very Merry Christmas” as Christmas Everywhere rocks the world to sleep for a secret Santa in “When the Fat Guy Tries the Chimney on for Size”. Listen and buy the music of Rodney Crowell from AMAZONhttps://www.rodneycrowell.com/